The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-04-20

I bul can udfAtA -t4 NtAit NiAitt a-''-'
saw II! Whoever has waged war in Amer
lea viii understand me and viii not be
surprised at this statement What was
truly surprising was the fact that We had
fought and half won a battle without any
| one on our side being IN command. II
recall this souvenir it is only b give
some idea Of the extraordinary difficult
ties ofthe situation with which Mcclellan
was Obliged to contend. After having
/ hurled his siuadrons Of cavalry after
Z having given hi- officers the most explicit
directions. hc himself remained Al his
/ headquarters 10 direct the movements OF
the unwieldy machine he had -et in
operation. The presence Of the grand
organizer was essential at this centre, the
( objective point and fountain head Of all
I important information. 1t was necessary
/ 10 prepare for the advance of the remain
/ der of the army. and toembark munition
T and -iores.to be sent up York River. But
I If no one could replace Mcclellan in the
work ofquarermastero ofthe forces, Meth
er could hi. presence be dispensed with
on the field Of battle. While be labored
/ in his Office before Yorktown, the greatest
I confusion reigIed among troops in front
of Williamsburg
The aged sumner had taken supreme
command by virtue Of his seniority. But
sineulary enough. he had lost his way
/ the previous night between the two lines
of advanced outpost. and had passed he
whole night in the forest amidst torrents
Of rain, waiting for daybreak to join his
staff. The cold and exposure Of this de-
plorlble night had benumhed the habit
uai energy Of 90 The Old Bull. as his sol
/ dier, were wont 10 call him. He gave no
command that did not pamvze and rem
derimmoyabIe every body of troops with
in reach Of his orders. even the cavalry.
The whole bruui OF the battle fell, with
out sumner being aware oi il, first ON
Hooker. then on Berry. then on Peck on
the leit and was finally borne by Hancock
Oh the right The troops really engaged
not finding themselves supported and
those who were held in active readiness
finding themselves exposed To "a deadly
fire which they could not return. al first
complained bitterly and al last lost heart.
They fcltthey were not properly handled.
Dependency WAS depicted in every coun-
tenauce Everyone was asking for Nc
Clelau suddenly vague rumor ran
through the ranks 4 wave of instructive
agitation passed over the battalllons.
! The excited soldiers were on the y'. rise
+ for an event. u was Mcclellan, No.ielS
Of huzzahs greeted the chief whom au 3p-
perfume despatch had brought Ia the field
/ at the critical moment Nigh, approach
. ed. II was too late tore-ume the offensive,
( But everyone felt that an energetic chief
would now direct the movements of the
army. have never realized 50 fully the
extent to which one man may inspire his
I fellows with confidence. The next day
. thera was no need of fighting The enc
nay had gone. Johnston had accomplish
cd his purpose
4 After the battle of Williamsburg our
progress was necessarily very slow 10
/ was the first time that $50 numerous an
army had undertaken to traverse an en-
cmy'- country almost destitute OF rc~our-
ces. Mcclellan in spite of himself found
a.. d. 49,. a.. ~, ,,-;.l .-,4..ss ,8. l.,,...
of his most illustrious adyerSarieS. our
first halt was al the fine dwelling Of Gen.
/ Ewell Shortly Ifterward we We're al
+ " White House the abode of Colonel,
/ later Generil. Lee, and son of our future
antagonist cur march was. 50 10 speak,
/ one of discovery, and, for want OF maps,
/ Mcclellan was obliged to order plotting of
/ a survey before attempting the puzzline
/ labvrinth of roads Strangely there was
/ not single indivi iual in our army who
( had lived in this region or was acQuaint-
ed with it sufficiently toact as guide We
found ourselves reduced to the alterua-
tive of following the vague direction Of
/ the contrabands
iIyINo Is CONFEDERATE MANSIONS.
In this manner we reached the bank,
/ of the Pamunkey We had climbed
/ hin denuded of trees, rising abruptly
from the river At our feet in an open
/ plain ruined building marked the site
/ of Cumberland. The steep banks oi the
! winding river were fringed with immense
trees covered with wild towering vines Of
I the most brilliant hues. that hung in
graceful festoons over the deep and slug
/ gish water. 4 death-lke silence reigned
over the magnificent landscape. Had it
not been for the tumbledown little struc-
/ turc. built in the last century, one could
have imagined himself transported back
To the time OF Indian canoes, when the
paddle of the iusouciant hunter rippiel
! the yellow wave. or the enterprising Cap
I tain Smith was miraculously saved from
death by sudden inspiration of love IN the
glowing heart of Pocahontas. Mcclellan
had Just begun AN ingenjou, theory of his
own descent ina direct line from this love
ly Indian princess, when. fortunate per
haps for him. ms genealogical demonstra-
ton was cut short by the simultaneous
arrival of two of our columns deployiHg
from the forest one OF the transports la
borously ascending the river For two
days the banks of the Pamunkey resem-
bled the wharyes of busy town on the
Mississippi. Suddenlya spell was broken
and naught remained 10 mark the scene
of So much activity but blackened Goals
and empty food cans. We kept on, and
in spite of the sloNness ofour movements
got near enough TO the Confederate capi-
tai 10 wonder n the manner in which the
enemy seemed 10 have abandoned its APP
proaches. We had lost an trace Of the
foe, and it wasonly at Meadow Bridge, on
the Chickahomiuy, that We had aB OPP
portunity to exchange shots.
CALLED BACK rowA>HINGroN.
The Commanding General was not free
from carking cares. And again the cause
came from Washington. on the 25th OF
May while the cavalry was engaged in
securing difficult position on the Chick
ahominy. dispatches from the President
announced the defeat of Banks at Win
chester, revealed the panic that had seiz.
cd the Government at Washington and
directed Mcclellan to abandon everything